“Climate change is no longer some far-off problem; it is happening here, it is happening now,” Barack Obama said.

Humanity is facing a real issue whether it is believed or not. We continue to over consume non-renewable resources and spew litter.

Many older generations seem the most hesitant. How do we know that global warming is happening? Well, the climate will begin changing in different regions. Ocean water will warm- melting glaciers. Animals will become accustomed to change or die off. One more thing, plants will also change. How do plants change? We live in Nebraska and corn is the largest crop. Well, crops can either continue growing or stop with the change in soil. If that sounds frightening now, imagine later. Future generations could be left with nothing.

This is a call for change as a whole community. We could begin with small changes at a time. It’s not easy to change lifestyles from one day to another. One of the most recent trends is using metal straws, #SAVETHETURTLES. Metal straws are great, you can take them anywhere. They are sold at Walmart or on Amazon. My daughter is still very small, and she has already been introduced to metal straws. We want younger generations to become more conscious.

Let’s use bikes, walk, or skateboard, instead of using cars. I would also suggest any other transportation like busses, but that’s not quite possible in Wayne. Busses are more easily accessible in bigger cities. Anyway, there are tons of possibilities out there for change. You might not even have to take a big leap, use cold water to wash your clothes, that alone will conserve energy.

College students have a busy schedule, but here and there we can bring awareness to the topic. Yes, we might sound a little crazy to people, but they will be drawn to the possibility of doing things differently. Talk to that little old lady who thinks climate change isn’t real. Maybe she’ll go home and garden, or wash her clothes in cold water. Another easy way for college students to be more Earth friendly is simply take older clothes or goods to secondhand stores. Many people shop second hand. Put that old clothes to good use.

We will ultimately influence younger generations to have better habits. Let’s take care of Earth for as long as we can. Global warming is happening, and it’s an issue that shouldn’t be taken lightly.